


Don’t Cry, I Was Smiling

by sunnythursdays



Category: Fast & Furious (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Kinda Graphic Maybe?, No ships cuz I’m bitter, Pshhh What Canon?, Whump, car crash, hurt/comfort kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24696037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnythursdays/pseuds/sunnythursdays
Summary: He figured it was safe enough to slow down, so he pulled the phone out of the cup holder to check his messages. He only had one as expected.“All good. Come home.”He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that there had been no major hiccups. He glanced back up at the road, and satisfied it was clear, typed a quick message back.“Got it. See U soon.”He tapped on the bubble to send it, then turned it off, placing it back in the holder. It buzzed immediately again, and he rolled his eyes, picking it back up to read the message.“Bring beer.”He chuckled, and went to type a scathing reply, when two bright lights appeared in his windshield, a matching pair through the passenger window, both getting closer and closer.“Oh, shit-,”Brian O’Conner did not come home.
Kudos: 31





	Don’t Cry, I Was Smiling

If Brian didn’t know any better, he’d say that this was one of the easiest jobs he’s ever pulled.

Of course, he knew better than to say that out loud; all they needed was for him to jinx it, and send a pile of cops, feds, criminals, and of course a storm of bullets coming at them from all sides. He hadn’t lived this kind of life for long but he knew better than to get comfortable, let alone complacent.

He’d had the easy job of being the decoy and distraction, leading any interested parties away from where the rest of the crew pulled off the job. A simple in and out, he’d been told, when he voiced his worry of not being there to protect the others. Nothing to worry about, as long as they all played their parts. 

He mulled over the plan again in his head, as he had when they first agreed to it. He’d play the part of the street racer (obviously) and would divert the cops attention while the others would move in. A protected warehouse was the target, and housed several big-ticket luxury cars ripe for the picking. Scoring even one of them would keep the group comfortable for at least a few months, but it would be unlike Dom to go small. He wanted to take them all, and despite the risk, the reward was far too sweet for anyone to pass on. That, and the owner of the cars had been a particular pain in the ass for a while. They’d had a few encounters with this particular gang before, leading to a lot of close calls and credible threats. Brian found himself being tailed a few times, and had to set them straight a few more. He knew it’d be risky taking them on in such a big way, but the idea of getting one over on them was too sweet.

It’d taken them a few days to plan out and structure the heist; after all, they had to keep track of the cars they got in with, any hired guns in the way, how to get out with the cars, while avoiding the cops, angry drug lords, and the feds who were getting closer and closer to finding some hard evidence against the crew.

Brian really did have it easy.

He’d arrived at the street race fashionably late, pulling up in his borrowed Honda S2000 AP1. He was familiar with how it drives; Suki had let him borrow hers back in Miami a few times. She’d even let him race her car once, much to the delight of the crowds. Nothing said professional street racer than ripping around the city in a hot pink Honda. Still, despite the jarring colour, he appreciated how it drove. That, and it wasn’t something he’d normally pick for himself, which gave him a bit better cover in the long run.

This S2000 was an equally offensive yellow, contrasted by the blacked out hood, dark tinted windows, and shiny black rims that caught the light in an annoyingly fascinating way. It looked like a car that someone went out of their way to make it look tough. Brian almost missed the pink. 

He thought back to Miami, when things were slower and simpler. He’d gotten a taste of what life on the run felt like, and though he’d never admit it, he was addicted without realizing. Even after Miami, and joining the Force, he couldn’t keep himself out of trouble; the rules were too stifling and protocols were contracting him too much. It was hardly a surprise he’d found himself busting Dom out of jail, then taking off out of the country like a bat out of hell. The allure of the speed, the risk, the danger was too strong, and he wasn’t able to resist.

That’s how he found himself on the starting line, revving his engine as he prepared to race. Three other cars were lined up next to him, the drivers a combination of competent and cocky. He could tell the driver to his left wasn’t one he needed to worry about. The man, who looked like he was barely of age to drive, was busy wooing the crowd, revving his car far past what Brian would be comfortable pushing it to. He drove a shiny silver Corvette, and based on his attitude, seemed to think it was a winning car.

Next to the Corvette was a Plymouth Barracuda, and though Brian couldn’t tell the year, he was awfully impressed at first glance. He hadn’t gotten a chance to see under its hood, but by the sounds it was making, he knew he’d be impressed. He had to stop himself from snapping a photo to show to Dom, and finding out what was under it to brag about later. If it were Dom behind the wheel, he’d be nervous about his chances, but the driver seemed too busy eyeing up the women in his rear to pay attention to race. Any real driver would be able to enjoy the sights, but also keep focus on the goal.

His biggest threat, he thought, was the Subaru Impreza WRX, and more importantly, the woman behind it. The car was, in a word, gaudy, and reminded him of something Suki would drive. It was a flashy copper colour, that looked pink when the light hit it a certain way, with a matching spoiler and shiny rims. The windows were completely backed out, and Brian could only guess what was under the hood. The body kit alone would have cost this girl a pretty penny, and the sounds it was making was nothing shy of impressive. What worried him, however, was how calm she looked.

She looked young at first glance, with rounded cheeks and a small nose, but he could tell from the youthfulness in her eyes. They were bright and vivid, despite her intense focus. She had dark brown hair that reached her shoulders in spiral curls, and cropped bangs that just covered her eyebrows. Her thin lips were pursed, as she focused a mean stare ahead of her, completely focused on the road. Her unmanicured hands gripped the steering wheel in a comfortable but firm grip, and her breathing was steady and measured. Unlike the other three, she wasn’t checking out the competition, or paying the cheering crowd any attention. She was a racer, clear as day. And that made Brian nervous. She’d be the one to beat, clearly.

He turned back to the road and eyed the stunning woman who stood in front of them. Her outfit left little to the imagination, much to the enjoyment of Corvette beside him. She let the crowd voice their excitement for a moment before turning to the racers, meeting each of their eyes.

“Are you ready?” She called, pointing a slip of fabric towards Brian’s car, meeting his eyes with a sultry bat of her lashes. He revved his car in response and she seemed satisfied, asking the other three the same.

“Alright racers, time to put your money where your mouth is!”

The four revved their cars together as she raised the fabric above her head.

“Be fair!” 3.

“Be safe!” 2

“But most importantly, be fast!” 1.

“Go!”

~

He’d played his part beautifully, in his opinion, so long as the overwhelming flashing lights of red and blue behind him was any indication. It seemed like half of the countries police force was chasing him, and he had no intention of letting up. He weaved expertly through traffic, swerving around the corners determined to take the heat far away from where the others were working. He couldn’t keep his eyes from glancing at the time on his dash, tracking the amount of time it’d take for the others to get clear and to safety if things went according to plan. He was more than happy to lead the chase away for as long as it took, but the longer the heat was on him, the more difficult it would be to get it off. The other racers had long since taken off, and Brian couldn’t help but worry about the fact that most of the cops went after him rather than the others. Had he been identified?

He cursed out loud when a truck backed up into the street in front of him, forcing him to stop on the brakes and swerve around it. He could see the issues the cars behind him had getting around it, and despite his instincts, he let up on the gas a bit, giving them a chance to catch back up. As tempting as it was to use the advantage to escape, he hadn’t gotten the signal yet, which meant he had to keep the swarm of cops behind him engaged.

It was at least another 10 minutes of reckless driving before Brian’s phone chimed, and that was all he needed to take off properly.

“Time to go!”

He slammed his foot down on the gas, taking off. He took riskier turns, sneakier detours, and used the sheer speed of his vehicle alone to create more and more distance between him and the cops. It was soon after that he made a quick turn down a side street, travelling down it fast enough that the cops behind him didn’t see it. They carried on right past it, thinking he was taking the obvious route to the freeway. Instead, he pulled his car calmly onto the street on the other side and started driving to the rendezvous point.

He let himself grin, his lips quirking up at the sides as the exhilaration of the chase set in. Now that the adrenaline could finally start to wear off, he could appreciate the race in all its glory. He figured it was safe enough to slow down, so he pulled the phone out of the cup holder to check his messages. He only had one as expected.

“All good. Come home.” 

He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that there had been no major hiccups. He glanced back up at the road, and satisfied it was clear, typed a quick message back.

“Got it. See U soon.”

He tapped on the bubble to send it, then turned it off, placing it back in the holder. It buzzed immediately again, and he rolled his eyes, picking it back up to read the message.

“Bring beer.”

He chuckled, and went to type a scathing reply, when two bright lights appeared in his windshield, a matching pair through the passenger window, both getting closer and closer. 

“Oh, shit-,”

Brian O’Conner did not come home.

~

Something was burning. He was pretty sure it was gasoline, but his head was too fuzzy to be sure. The smell was irritating, as was the smoke that made his sore lungs ache every time he took a breath. 

Something was burning. His eyes snapped open.

All his senses came back all at once, and he couldn’t stop the agonized groan escaping his lips. His arms hung dumbly above him, which clued him in that he was somehow upside down. His vision was blurred and spotty, despite him blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear it. He tried to focus on his surrounding, which made his head pound. His stomach heaved then, making him heave and gag on the bile that’d come up his throat. The heaving sparked a flash of pain in his ribs, which ignited pain everywhere else. He cried out again as it fully set in.

He shut his eyes and tried to concentrate, trying to figure out what had happened. It didn’t take a lot of thought to make a guess; the state he and his car was in gave him a good enough idea. He’d been in a crash, he was in bad shape, and from what pieces he could recall, it was probably not an accident.

He became aware of the burning smell a third time, and panic set in. His eyes snapped back open, and he managed to will his right arm to work. It took him a moment, but he was able to release his seatbelt. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough strength to keep himself from collapsing out of his seat, falling hard onto the damaged roof. The shock of the fall flared everything that hurt to an 11, and he cried out once more, his vision fading in and out as he fought for control over his limbs. He had to get out.

He rolled to his right side, reaching out and using it to drag himself out. He hardly noticed the shards of glass scraping and cutting his skin, too determined to get away from the immediate danger of an exploding car. He made it out the window and finally was able to get his legs working, kicking and pushing them against the ground to propel him out faster. He half crawled, half dragged himself away from the wreck. 

It seemed whatever strength he’d had only lasted long enough for him to get out, since the moment he felt he was far enough away, his body gave up, rolling weakly onto his back and trying to quell the overwhelming agony of his injuries. 

Head, he thought to himself, certain he had a concussion. That would explain the confusion, memory loss and blinding pain right above his left eye.

Ribs, he thought next, taking note of the fire that itched underneath the skin on his chest, and the way he couldn’t quite take a full breath. Oh, how he wanted to breathe deeply.

Lungs, possibly damaged by his ribs and likely full of smoke. He coughed despite the pain, killing him back to a state of half-consciousness.

Left knee, he noticed next, taking stock of the fact that he could feel it was not where it usually was. It didn’t quite hurt, especially compared to the mess that was his chest, but felt wrong. He couldn’t tell if it was dislocated or broken or what. 

Shoulder, speaking of dislocation. He couldn’t move his left arm, which didn’t bode well. 

Dom.

He needed to call Dom, tell him what happened and have him pick him up. He knew he’d be there, swoop in and save his sorry ass like usual, pretending to be too humble to be the hero. He almost laughed, reaching with his good arm into his pocket to make the call-

The phone was in the car.

He almost cried then, but elected to go for anger over grief. He shouted out a string of curses that’d normally make him blush, his voice cracking and breaking as reality set in. He was alone, badly injured, and had no way to call for help. No one knew where he was, that he was hurt, and that he needed help. He was going to die, and he was completely and heartbreakingly alone.

He stared up at the sky, his body too tired to move. His mind was sluggish and nothing was really important anymore. The pain was easing, and the fear that had made itself home in the pit of his aching chest was slowly drawing away. He saw a star glimmer in the dark sky, only one. He wished that he could see more, that the lights around him would all turn off and he could see the galaxy. He’d never forget the first time he really saw the stars.

He’d just made it to Rio with Mia, and the thrill of the chase was starting to wear off. It was their first day in their third “safe house”, one they’d hope would be the permanent one. They’d arrived late evening, and while Brian worked away at securing the house, establishing rapport with the locals and sweeping the house for escape routes, Mia had taken her time enjoying the sights. The sun had long gone down, and once Brian was satisfied with the house, he’d gone to join Mia on the small balcony attached to their shared room.

“You coming inside?” He’d asked her, slipping his hands around her waist and tucking his face into the crook of her neck. He was tired, but immediately found comfort once she was in his arms.

“You need to breathe, Brian. We’ll be safe here.” She said gently, letting her arms rest over his. 

“Can’t be too careful,” he murmured.

She smiled despite herself, and let herself lean against his taller frame.

“Have you seen the stars, yet? It’s beautiful,” she continued, prompting him to raise his head and look up.

His breath caught in his throat. It was the most magnificent thing he’d ever seen. Trillions of stars, the shades and shapes of the Milky Way galaxy, twinkling and shining down. He wondered how he could have missed it. How he could let himself miss it.

“Beautiful,” Mia whispered, joining him in admiring the sky, and for the first time in a long time, both felt completely at peace.

The sky above him now was pitiful in comparison, but he focused on that one star. His gaze never wavered, even when the car blasted apart and sent shrapnel flying in all directions. 

His gaze never wavered, even when his lungs began to construct and breathing became difficult.

His gaze never wavered, even when he could taste blood in the back of his throat, coughing and choking on it as it filled his mouth.

His gaze never wavered, even when he heard the distant rumble of a familiar cat in the distance.

His gaze never wavered, even when a too familiar voice called his name.

He closed his eyes, and then he soared.

~

Dom was a very patient person. Ask anyone, and they’d say the same. Even when he was angry, or scared, or frustrated, it took a whole lot to set him off. 

‘Controlled’, O’Conner had called him, long ago when he carried the badge. Dom had long forgiven the past, but couldn’t help but hold onto to some of it. Every so often he’d feel the sting of the betrayal, the weight of the grief as his family was torn apart. It was quickly drowned out by the warmth and trust O’Conner had earned back, but that sting would always be there.

He’d go out of his way to replace the heavy thoughts with the good ones, reminding himself of all the good he’s seen Brian O’Conner do. Especially the things he’d given, done and sacrificed for him. Loyalty was a heavy burden at times, but the small moments he’s had with his family made it all worth it.

Dom was a very patient person, expect for when he was worried.

It’d been nearly an hour since he’d last heard from Brian. The job had gone smoothly, the rest of the group was back and celebrating the score. He knew that Brian would have no trouble getting back on his own, which is why with each passing minute, Dom was getting more and more agitated.

He opened his phone and checked it again, annoyed but unsurprised by the lack of new messages. He quickly typed out another message, asking Brian where he was, before sending it and angrily clicking his phone off.

“He’ll be here,” Letty said, sidling up to his tense form at the workbench. “Probably ran into some cops, had to lose ‘em and keep ‘em from following him.”

“Shouldn’t take him this long,” Dom grunted, tossing the phone gently onto the table. “Doesn’t feel right.”

Letty frowned at that, her eyebrows furrowing.

“How long has it been?” She asked, her tone a bit more serious. She had a knack for quickly sobering up when things got serious.

“Too long,” he said, straightening up when the clock officially marked an hour since he’d heard from him.

Dom moves quickly, throwing his jacket over his arm and making his way towards his car.

“Yo man, what’s with the serious face?” Roman asked, a nearly empty bottle clutched loosely in his hand.

“Looking forward Brian,” Dom called as he walked by. The dark atmosphere he carried with him immediately infected the atmosphere of the others, who straightened up and paid attention.

“You haven’t heard from him?” Tej asked, placing the drink in his hand down.

“I’m going to find him,” Dom answered instead, picking the keys up off the table he’d tossed them onto and moving to get into his car.

“And where will you look?” Tej continued, ignoring the look Dom gave him. “City is huge, you don’t know where to start. He could be anywhere.”

“Not helping, Tej!” Letty barked, fixing him a glare.

“I’m saying, there’s no point rushing off blindly, you’ll never find him that way.”

“What do you have in mind, then?” Letty asked.

“Easy,” Tej said, as if the answer was obvious. “Just gotta track his phone.”

The group paused, even Dom, at how easy that sounded.

“That’s what I thought. Gimme a sec-,” Tej continued, opening his laptop and tooling away furiously.

“Just gotta track his user ID, find the phone, ping the coordinates...” Tej rambled, working his magic and the rest watched with baited breath. “Cmon, where you at Brian? Cmon...”

“Tej!”

“Got it!” He called, swinging the laptop around to face them. “Go!”

Dom was already in the car, peeling out of the room with a roar.

The rest watched him go, then turned their attention back to each other.

“It’s not moving,” Letty said, her voice heavy. “It’s in the middle of no where and it’s not moving.”

“He’ll be fine,” Roman butted in. “Brian probably lost his phone on the way and will be back any second.” His voice sounded confident, but Letty could see the doubt in his eyes, the way they flickered towards his car, and back to the laptop.

“He’ll be fine.”

~

He couldn’t move.

That was the scariest part. Not the blood, not the pain, not even the fact that he was dying. He couldn’t move, and that terrified him.

He’d always had issues with authority, always had issues doing wat he was told. He liked to be in control over everything he could be, and hated when that control was taken away. That’s probably why he was so scared, because he couldn’t control his own body. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t open his eyes, or move his hands, or sit up or something. He couldn’t move.

“Brian!”

That’s my name.

“Brian can you hear me!”

Yeah, you’re shouting. So much shouting.

“Shit, Brian, stay with me now, you hear me?”

Can’t move, man. Not exactly going anywhere anytime soon.

Then agony, he could hear himself cry out when he felt himself be lifted. The pain that had dulled into a hardly manageable ache was again ignited. He coughed and gasped and wheezed choked.

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay.”

Please, it hurts. Make it stop, please.

“Don’t you die on me, O’Conner.”

Just make it stop!

“Stay with me, O’Conner!”

I’m sorry, Dom.

~

“Mr. O’Conner? Can you hear me?”

A sharp pain in his side brought him back, and he lurched with a heavy gasp. He felt several pairs of hands holding him down, and a number of voices talking at once.

“Mr. O’Conner, you’re okay. I need you to breathe for me.” A voice above him said. 

He cracked open his eyes but was blinded by the sterile white light. He shut them and groaned as his head began to ache once more.

“Mr. O’Conner, I’m Doctor Pierce. You’ve been in a car accident, and you’re in the hospital. We’re going to take care of you, okay. You’re gonna feel a little pinch-,”

He was floating again. He figured he was unconscious; the noises around him sounded very far away, like he was on the other side of a tunnel. Their voices echoed, too much so he couldn’t make out the words. 

Every so often, he’d feel something that’d bring him back from floating too far. A slight twinge, or ache, or sting, and he’d become aware again. He was perfectly content this way, there was no pain, not really. He wouldn’t say he was comfortable, but overall it was alright. He tried to remember what had happened, but every time something came back to him, it would slip away just as quickly. 

A feeling washed over him then, carrying him deeper and deeper. He felt a slight ache in his chest, but he ignored it, content. The ache got worse, where he couldn’t ignore it, but he did. There was a beeping noise in the distant, frantic and unrelenting, but he ignored it too. He opened his eyes, and saw the stars once more, brilliant and blinding. Trillions and trillions of them, sparkling against the colour soaked sky, radiant and inviting. 

Don’t you die on me, O’Conner!

He opened his eyes.

At least, he did briefly, before having to close them at the sudden brightness of the room. He could never understand why hospitals chose the brightest damn lights in the world. Not exactly easy on the eyes.

Wait, hospital?

He gasped in a shaky breath. He found himself able to move, much to his immediate relief, and regretted it soon after he tried it. A short grunt slipped from his lips, followed by a long, quiet groan.

“Brian? Can you hear me?”

Mia?

“Brian? Can you open you eyes?”

A soft hand intertwined with his.

“Brian?”

He groaned again and cracked his eyes open the tiniest bit, making out the blurry shape of a familiar face.

“Brian!” She whispered, tears slipping down her face freely as a thin smile graced her quivering lips.

He tried to respond, but couldn’t get more than a grunt and wheeze out, much to her dismay.

“I’m here, Brian. We’re all here. You’re gonna be okay, okay?” She whispered, taking his hand in both of hers. “I’m gonna get the doctor, okay?”

She stood and quickly crossed the room, opening the door quietly and shutting it behind her. He stared after her for a few long minutes, waiting anxiously for her to come back. Much to his disappointment, a woman in a white coat came back in instead, alone.

“Mr. O’Conner? I’m Doctor Pierce. Can you hear me?”

He nodded as best he could.

“Good, I’m glad to hear that. Can you tell me what happened?”

He furrowed his brows shook his head once.

“Okay, no problem. You were in a motor vehicle accident, Brian. You sustained some pretty serious injuries, but we were able to repair the damage. Your injuries are extensive, but you should fully recover.”

He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

“I’d like to run a few tests, just to make sure everything is okay. I’m also going to bring someone in to do a neurological exam, to make sure there nothing I missed, okay?” Her voice was softer than before, and despite his anxiety, he nodded.

“Your friends have been waiting a while for you,” she said with a smile. “I told them I’d let them see you as soon as you’re able, which is entirely up to you.” He frowned in confusion so she continued. “If you’re feeling up to visitors, I’ll let them in, but if you’d rather rest and heal a bit more, I can tell them they have to wait. Do you want me to bring them in?”

He nodded quickly, then winced as his vision swam.

“Easy!” She chastised. “You his your head pretty badly. Try to relax for me, I’ll let them know you’re up.”

She turned and left, and Brian was nervous again. Most of the past few hours were a blur to him; he could hardly remember what had led up to him being laid up. He remembered the start of the plan, but not how it ended. What if someone else had gotten hurt? What if he was the reason it went wrong? What if someone was caught because of him? What if-

The door opened, and much to his surprise, Dom was the only one who came through it. He met Brian’s eyes for a moment, then closed the door, making his way over to the chair beside his bed. He sat down with a sigh and stared at his hands, laced together as his arms rested on his knees. They sat in an awkward but companionable silence.

“Hey-,” Brian started in a rasping voice that startled him. It must have startled Dom too because his eyes opened wide and met his once more.

“Doc said you couldn’t talk yet,” Dom said simply.

“S’prise-,” Brian wheezed out.

“How you feelin’?”

“Been better-,” He let out another wheezing cough.

Dom stayed quiet, and Brian kept his eyes on him. He looked awful.

His skin had an awful pale pallor to it, his eyes were dark and dull, complimented by the heavy bags under his eyelids. His clothes were wrinkled and his hands shook slightly. Brian felt a pang in his chest when he realized he had been the cause of this. He’d caused so much worry and the condition his best friend was in was his fault.

“I’m-,” he started, his voice betraying his by breaking, leading him into another heavy coughing fit. He felt a warm hand in his back as he gasped for breath, rubbing circles against it. Despite his doubts, it seemed to help, and the fit was over soon enough.

“I’m sorry,” Brian managed to get out, closing his eyes. He knew he’d never get away with it, but he figured he’d try.

“What?” There it is.

“Brian, open your eyes,” Dom commanded in a less than gentle voice. “Brian.”

Brian complied, and forced himself to meet Dom’s powerful gaze.

“You don’t apologize. Not for this.” Dom said, in a voice that almost sounded angry. “You’re alive and healing. That’s all that matters here.”

“But-,”

“No, O’Conner, no but’s,” Dom interrupted. “I’m the one who should be saying sorry.”

Brian was confused, and it must have shown on his face because Dom sighed and continued.

“You were missing for a while before we even thought to look for you. Took me too long to find you. If I hadn’t made you go alone...” he trailed off, rubbing a hand across his face. “This ones on me, O’Conner.”

Brian didn’t know what to say to that, even though he knew wholeheartedly that it wasn’t true. Brian didn’t feel any sense of blame towards Dom, or any of the crew. He was the one that got distracted by his phone, and got cornered and hit. That was on him. It was hardly Dom’s fault that he’d been too caught up in the moment to pay attention.

The more he thought about it, he realized he was embarrassed. He’d let himself get caught, he’d let himself get hit, he wasn’t able to get out, to get away from the fire and the smoke and the pain-

“Brian?”

Brian struggled to take a full breath, his eyes wide with panic. Machines started beeping frantically beside him, and he clutched desperately at his chest. Dom mirrored his panic, moving his mouth to firm words that Brian couldn’t hear. He registered the door opening, and suddenly he was surrounded by white coats and blue scrubs. The bed he was laying in was lowered and everything blurred. He felt tears slip down the sides of his face and he could hear himself calling out. He reached a weak hand out, and nearly cried out in relief when a large, warm hand took it. His glassy eyes met Dom’s, and he could see the confusion, the guilt, and the fear in them. 

He felt himself slipping away, and allowed himself to fall once more. It’ll be a long, slow and difficult road to recovery. It’ll take him a while to get back on his feet, to heal, to drive again. It’ll take him even longer to move on, for the nightmares and doubt and guilt to subside. It’ll take a long, long time for the others to forgive and move on. And they’ll never, ever forget what horrible things can happen to people like them, living a life like theirs.

But despite it all, no matter how long it takes, Brian O’Conner will come home.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I couldn’t help but notice a lack of car crash/whump fics in this fandom so I figured I’d give it a try. This is my first work, so I appreciate (and need) any and all feedback!


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